Obama taps N.O. for U.S. blueprint

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By Christina Bellantoni

NEW ORLEANS

President Obama's aggressive approach to Gulf Coast recovery has allowed him to put a liberal policy stamp on the region and apply campaign promises to the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina - from green construction and environmental protection to invigorating urban centers and stressing volunteerism.

As the new administration rolls out more funding for New Orleans and shines a spotlight on bureaucratic backlogs delaying rebuilding, Gulf Coast residents note they are entering a new phase with different needs.

The piles of debris that college students on spring break could pitch in to clear are long gone, new bridges have been erected, and those who could afford to rebuild their homes have done so.

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But many neighborhoods - especially the flattened Lower 9th Ward, one of the city's poorest areas - remain empty. Former residents are tripped up by paperwork, stuck in housing limbo, or are waiting for the schools and grocery stores to return so their once vibrant communities can rise again.

The Washington Times logged hundreds of miles last week to survey post-Katrina recovery and interview politicians, nonprofit leaders and storm survivors hopeful that Mr. Obama's pledges will be followed with action.

"At least he's trying to keep his promise. He has to start somewhere and, to be perfectly honest in light of the bigger problems that he's facing, to at least do that is a sign that he has not forgotten about us," said Robert Green Sr., living in a trailer in the Lower 9th, a neighborhood that "was home before Katrina and it will be my home after Katrina."

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Obama Taps Big Easy for U.S. Blueprint